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milk supply issues when losing pregnancy weight

Hi all, i'm finally trying to lose my pregnancy weight (i have 35 to go so i did gain a lot) and i'm 4 months postpartum. every time i lose a couple of lbs my milk supply seems to tank. i can tell by the number of wets my baby has going down and the fact that i get less on the pump. i'll then start eating to hunger again and within a couple of days the 2 or so lbs are back and so is my supply. my dr recommended getting the pregnancy weight off as quickly as possible because since i've had the baby i have health problems that i have never had such as high blood pressure, migraines, insomnia (even when baby is sleeping), etc. that my dr attributes to the weight gain. i know the gain was excessive so i understand the toll it is taking. also my joints are always hurting now.

does anyone have any tips on how i can get the weight off without my supply going down as it does? i don't know if i should just let it go down and gradually wean the baby so i can get my health in order. i'm so confused and have little support from my dr other than him just telling me to get the pregnancy weight off asap. i'm also working out regularly and have been since 8 weeks pp but that hasn't seemed to make a difference.

Re: milk supply issues when losing pregnancy weight

I am almost at the same point, baby is 3.5 months old and I have 20lbs to go, but my goal is to lose 15. I gained 50lbs! I would say eat to hunger, just aim for healthy choices. I've been eating about 1700-1800 cals per day, working out maybe twice a week and so far lost one pound per week. I feel huge and fluffy but my supply is more important to me than looking good. If I'm more hungry some days then I eat more. I would not try to restrict yourself as long as you choose healthy foods and you are truly hungry. This is my second baby and last time it took 8 months to lose 30lbs, hang in there! Just do your best. One thing that seems to work for me is eating snacks. I think it definitely boosts metabolism to eat more small meals vs 3 huge meals. Also don't feel bad about the high weight gain in pregnancy, I firmly believe women are pre programmed for how we gain in pregnancy. I feel like the 50lbs was out of my control, when I tried to eat less I felt awful.

Re: milk supply issues when losing pregnancy weight

Here is a link with some good tips on losing weight while breastfeeding http://kellymom.com/nutrition/mother...om-weightloss/
Like mommal said, be patient.
I had 30+ lbs of pregnancy weight clinging on too, but at 9 months pp it finally started to go. Lost 14 pounds since new year's!
What has worked for me is moderate exercise, and eating to hunger, but making sure the foods I am eating are good fats, high protein, nutrient rich foods.
Lots of fruits and veggies, beans and meats. Less sugar. Less carbs. Less dairy.

Re: milk supply issues when losing pregnancy weight

If your doctor is dismissive of having your thyroid checked, I would seek another doctor if possible, someone who will actually look into the fact that you say you have felt sick since baby was born! That does not sound normal. I can't speak for the other concerns, but I had my first migraine ever when my first daughter was 3 weeks old. I don't have any proof, but I think that postpartum/lactation hormones combined with lack of sleep are the main trigger for my migraines. I just have to take it easy and never get one, because once I get one it takes days to go away.

Someone mentioned less carbs - you might be interested in a book called "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, MD. I don't know if I'm a believer either way, but he firmly believes that the main roadblock to people losing weight (and many other health problems) is wheat consumption. A very interesting read anyway.

I don't know about the milk supply issue, though. My gut reaction would be that you need to eat enough and not worry about the weight; but I don't think you should ignore your own health problems, either, so if you think the weight is related to those, I'd definitely look for another doctor who might listen to your concerns more!

Re: milk supply issues when losing pregnancy weight

Originally Posted by @llli*satin.mama

If your doctor is dismissive of having your thyroid checked, I would seek another doctor if possible, someone who will actually look into the fact that you say you have felt sick since baby was born! That does not sound normal.

The care you received seems rather "sizeist". It's very common for docs to see someone who is above their ideal weight and assume that all the person's problems are weight-related, even though there's no evidence suggesting that to be the case. Sometimes weight gain is a symptom, not a cause.

Any doc who sees a postpartum woman with migraines, hypertension, insomnia, and weight issues should, IMHO, order a thyroid panel, because those are all possible symptoms of thyroid malfunction. There's a condition called postpartum thyroiditis which strikes about 5% of women in the year following the birth of a child, and I don't know why there isn't routine testing for it. If 5% of women developed diabetes or heart disease in the postpartum year, you better believe docs would make sure women got tested for those conditions!

Long story short, if your doc won't look a little deeper than your weight for the cause of your issues, then find a new doc!!!